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J. W. WORCESTER.

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No. 295,138. Patented Mar. 11, 18-84.

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J. WARREN WORCESTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO ALFREDSTORM AND EDWIN R. STORM, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,138, dated March11, 1884.

Application filed January 19, 1884. (No model.)

To [tZZ 2071,0771 it may concern-i Be it known that I, J. WARREN WononsTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the countyand State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inToys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved toy wherebytones or soundslike IO or similar to the tapping of a drum can beproduced, and also to provide novel means for imitating or approximatelyimitating the combined playing of a fife or flute and a drum.

To such ends the invention consists, essentially, in the combination,with a case or box, of a toothed wheel, a slat or strip suspendedintermediate its ends by a support in the natu re of a spring, and adiaphragm orplate held adjacent to one end of the slat or strip, in suchmanner that when the teeth of the wheel engage and release one end ofthe slat or strip the other end of the latter will be violently thrownagainst the diaphragm or plate at short intervals, thereby producingloud tones or sounds like or similar to the tapping of a drum.

The invention further consists in combining a quill or tube with thecase or box, the toothed wheel or disk, and the slat or strip, so that aperson whistling through the tube or quill and operating the wheel canproduce harmonious tones or sounds in imitation, to a certain degree, ofthe combined playing of a fife or flute and a drum.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a toyconstructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation ofthe same, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal central sectional view.

The letter A indicates a case or box having an open top and end; S, ashaft journaled to rotate in the sides of the case at the open endthereof, and provided with a hand-crank, 0'

and B, two toothed wheels or disks rigidly with the points of theirteethpreferably arranged to alternate, as shown. The points of the teethoperate on the free ends of two slats or strips, D, of wood, metal, orother suitable material, the other free ends of the secured to the shaftat a short distance apart,

slats being arranged adjacent to a diaphragm or plate, F, fiXBd lll theupper part of the closed end of the case, so that when the teeth of thewheels engage and release the slats at one end their other ends arecaused to violently strike the diaphragm at short intervals. These slatsare supported intermediate their ends by a cord, E, twisted taut andsecured to pins 1, attached to the case, said twisted cord forming loopsin which the slats are held apart parallel to each other and in linewith the plane of the toothed wheels, and constitute, in effect, aspring-support for the slats, so that when the outer ends of the slatsare lifted by the teeth of the wheels and released, the other ends ofsaid slats, through the medium of the impelling force created by thetension of the tautly-twisted cord, are violently thrown into contactwith the diaphragm or plate, to produce loud tones or soundslike thetapping of a drum, due to the slats rapidly and alternately striking thediaphragm with some violence. In the closed end wall of the case or boxis inserted a quill or other tube, Q, having a beveled month end, theobject being that a person whistling or blowing through the tube, andsimultaneously therewith operating the toothed wheels, can produce loudtones or sounds in imitation of,

or approximately so, the combined playing of a fife or flute and adrum.The instrument is held in the hand in such position that the end of thequill or tube can be placed in the mouth of the operator, and thetoothed wheels are rotated by the crank-shaft, so that the slats orstrips are operated in the manner above described.

I have shown and described two slats or strips and two operating-wheels,but do not confine myself to any specific number, inasmuch as one ormorecan be used; and the construction of the toothed wheels may be varied,the only requisite-being that when one end of the slat is engaged andreleased the other end will be violently thrown against the diaphragm bythe tension of the support which holds the slat.

A toy embodying this invention will afford considerable pleasure andamusement to children, owing to the possibility of imitating a fife orflute and a drum, and by the means set forth the sounds are not onlygreatly increased, but differ in effect and tone from what are known astoy rattles, since the tones or sounds more nearly resemble theharmonious tappings of a drum, owing to the presence of the resonantdiaphragm.

The diaphragm can simply be a thin plate or strip of wood; but othermaterial can be used which will produce a like eitect.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1.. A toy consistingof at ease or box, a vibrating slat supported intermediate its ends, atoothed wheel or disk arranged to engage and release one end 0 i' theslat and a diaphragm against which the other end of the slat isviolently thrown when engaged and released by the wheel or disk,substantiallyas described.

2. A toy combining in its structure a case or box, a twisted cord orequivalent device supported thereby, a slat sustained intern'iediate itsends by the cord, a toothed wheel for engaging and releasing one end ofthe slat, and a diaphragm against which the other end of the slat isviolently thrown when released by the teeth of the wheel, substantiallyas described.

3. A toy consisting of a case or box, a vibrating slat, a toothed wheelfor engaging and releasing the slats ot' the diaphragm, and a quill ortube for producing a whistling sound in harmony with the sounds of theslat produced by violently striking the diaphragm, substantially asdescribed.

4. A toy consisting, essentially, oi a slat supported intermediate itsends bya device held under tension, a diaphragm supported adjacent toone end of the slat, and means for acting on the other end of the slatto violently strike the diaphragm at short intervals, substantiall y asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

